The National Air and Space Museum commemorates the history of flight and educates and inspires people through its collections, exhibitions, research, and programs related to aviation, space flight, and planetary studies.

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Suited for Space

Closed on December 1, 2013

Suited for Space reveals the remarkable creativity and ingenuity of nearly a century of flight and spacesuit design and development. Through rare and original photography, including unique new x-ray images of spacesuit interiors, the exhibition reveals how the modern technological marvel that is the spacesuit enables astronauts to live and work in space. More information, including historic footage, can be found on the exhibition's Facebook page.

Suited for Space was organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) in partnership with the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. Generous support was provided by DuPont.

Apollo Spacesuit Overshoe

X-ray of an extravehicular (EV) overshoe that was designed to be worn over the Apollo spacesuit boots while an astronaut was walking on the Moon.

National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution / Mark Avino

Boot X-Ray

An x-ray of an Apollo-era "overboot" shows the adjustment strap that allowed astronauts to tighten this boot over another shoe that was attached to the spacesuit. Suited for Space will be on view at the museum in Washington, DC from July 26 - December 1, 2013.

Smithsonian Institution / Mark Avino

Bootprint

Wearing special lunar boot overshoes, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin stepped onto the moon on July 20, 1969, and made this now-famous footprint.

NASA

Freedom 7 Spacesuit

Alan B. Shepard, one of the original “Mercury 7,” wore this suit on the first flight of an American astronaut in 1961.

Smithsonian Institution / Mark Avino

Glove

Astronauts wore special gloves during lunar excursions. Made with rubber and Neoprene interior bladders, gloves covered hands completely to the wrist and were attached to the arms of the spacesuit with aluminum rings.

Smithsonian Institution / Mark Avino

Helmet X-Ray

This 1964 A4-H “Universal” helmet, designed for more than one suit, could fit on more than one suit. The x-ray reveals ball bearings in the neck ring that allowed the helmet to move right and left without restriction.

Smithsonian Institution / Mark Avino

Mark V Spacesuit

The Mark V suit was relatively flexible and incorporated design elements that allowed for a fuller range of movement.

Smithsonian Institution / Mark Avino

Phase I Apollo Helmet

X-ray of a helmet that was developed for the Phase I Apollo program.

National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution / Mark Avino

Alan Shepard’s Apollo 14 Spacesuit

An x-ray of Alan Shepard’s Apollo 14 spacesuit allows curators and conservators to “see” inside space clothing—a task that had previously been done by peering through the neck or the wrist with a flashlight.

X-ray by Roland H. Cunningham and Mark Avino

Baseball Demo

Test pilots show off the flexibility of the lightweight Mark IV suites with this 1960s baseball demonstration.